


serendipitous

by WitchoftheMareBeast



Category: Original Work
Genre: Original Character - Freeform, Original Characters - Freeform, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-13
Updated: 2017-07-13
Packaged: 2018-12-01 18:24:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11492079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WitchoftheMareBeast/pseuds/WitchoftheMareBeast
Summary: adjectivemeaning: occurring or discovered by chance in a happy or beneficial way.





	serendipitous

It wasn't planned by either Icarus or Charlotte to have ended up alone together in Icarus' basement, but the fact it had worked out better than either of them could have planned was an unexpected outcome.

  
Icarus had invited Charlotte and Viola over for the day for casual chat, tea, and snacks, but it quickly turned into questioning Icarus' collection of piling weapons in the corner of the hallway just by the front of the door where they came in. Icarus laughed, had joked they had nothing to worry about, because after all, it was natural for a battler to have that sort of stuff in their house. Viola had smiled and agreed, but Charlotte kept her eyes on the gleaming charmed metals of swords, daggers, and other various sharp things they would be oh so easy to cause damage to anyone.

  
Maybe she'd begun to be in a bad mood because Icarus mentioned their status as an official battler, and Viola bragged on about her potion making, but her attitude had dropped and she went completely silent.

  
It was easy for the two of them to have a place in this world, so why couldn't she do that herself? More importantly, why couldn't she just let that go? It was a major part of her past that - obviously - being a healer didn't work out. Primarily, if she'd just been good with healing magic, the entire bullshit of her own life would have never happened. The thought of it made her glare at the two of them in silence, sipping away at the scorching tea, not caring that her tongue was going numb.

  
"...Charlotte? Hello? Aren't you going to help them?"

  
Charlotte finally snapped out of her own thoughts, her eyebrows raised.

  
"What? Help who with what?"

  
Viola sighed. "Icarus needs help taking those weapons down to their basement. I have to go and open shop in thirty minutes."

  
_So you'd force this work onto me and make me deal with some person that's **your** friend... Classic._

  
And yet, if Charlotte were in a better mood, she wouldn't be thinking any of this. Hell, she might have smiled.

  
"You don't have to," Icarus finally chimed in, a kind expression on their face. It was so easy to fall victim to their kind buttery tone, warm and welcoming. "It's just a lot, and I'd appreciate the help, but if you'd rather leave with your sister, I would understand..."

  
Ugh. She _hated_ how nice they were.

  
"...It'll be fine. Hurry, Viola. The three customers that actually know your shop exists might be busting down the door at this point."

  
That spoken, Viola cleaned up her own tea, thanked Icarus for the good time, and then told Charlotte to grow up before grabbing her cape by the door and leaving. Charlotte scoffed, a sly grin on her face as she watched the door slam behind her. Icarus was distantly regarding her with an unsure look, but when Charlotte rounded off her gaze toward their direction, they glanced away, clapping their hands together.

  
"I-It may look like a lot by the door, but there's not. Um... some of the stuff is heavier, so if you can't carry something by yourself, I'll help."

  
Too nice. It came to Icarus so easily, because they were "naturally" a kind person. Charlotte would never understand how someone could so simply just act like that.

  
Without another word, she stood, allowed Icarus to direct her to the weapons, and then helped them carry it on downward. None of them were really a challenge for her to carry, up until the last two pieces that laid on the floor. She'd gone to pick one of them up the same time they did, their hands brushing by mere coincidence, but Charlotte had treated it like they'd sought out to do it on purpose. She shot them a glare, and Icarus visibly tensed, clutching the sword in their hand.

  
"My... apologies?"

  
"...It's fine."

  
She picked up the other one and rested the blade on her shoulder, barely brushing against the exposed skin of her neck. She went to move, but Icarus didn't budge an inch.  
"You... shouldn't carry it like that. It's sharp enough to cut through clothes, and you're holding it close to your head, so..."

  
Charlotte shrugged.

  
"It'd be amazing if this is what really did kill me after all this time. Come on, I want to go home already."

  
Don't keep me here longer than necessary. You're "nice" enough to make me feel guilty for staying around.

  
Icarus followed silently. They'd reached the bottom of the steps and had put the stuff down in the basement when there was a rather loud whoosh, followed by the door slamming shut. Icarus yelped, scrambling for the handle of the door, but when they insistently pulled on it, it refused to budge. It was dim in the basement, barely lit from the few candles Icarus had lit before they began moving everything down, but they wouldn't last forever. Plus, it was cold down here, and Charlotte just barely began to feel herself shiver.

  
And they'd left the key above, according to Icarus after patting their clothes for it. Magic would only effectively force Icarus into paying unnecessary expenses to have it all fixed, and it wouldn't be kind on Icarus' savings since they'd just bought all of their new swords and other things.

  
The beginning of a long few hours.

  
Charlotte sighed.

  
_You had to be kidding her._

  
Icarus didn't say anything for the passing of at least five minutes, until they grabbed one of the quickly melting candles - swearing under their breath when wax dripped onto their fingers - and carried it over to where she'd already casually had found herself a spot to lay back upon, which were conveniently boxes fill with - well, whatever else they kept in storage down here.

  
"I really hope you find it in yourself to forgive me. I should have had the key to this place here with me all this time..."

  
Charlotte rolled onto her side to face them.

  
"Well, if there's one thing they don't teach you battlers, it's how to plan ahead of time."

  
Icarus blinked.

  
"Actually, it's one of the very first few things they teach, but this... isn't a battle strategy. We were just carrying things down the steps."

  
"Right, right. And one day, you'll be just _carrying things down the steps_ and be ambushed by some unseen force, ready to take out one of the strongest this land has to offer. Which wouldn't be you, I'm guessing, since your arms are about as thin as paper, but it could still happen. Shouldn't you be putting up your guard, all the time?"

  
She paused, and cut them off before they could get a word in.

  
"Now I'm thinking about the fact you trapped us both in here. That would make an assailant's plans so much easier once they find a way to get inside unnoticed. The door is locked, you don't know if you can go out the way they came in, and you're stuck. What would you do?"

  
Maybe Charlotte was rambling on in order to throw them off of their kind attitude. She hated people who faked it until the very end, who let other people willingly buy into the obviously fake mask on their faces. Icarus was no different. Always formally spoke to people, always putting themself out there as a person to trust, but one slip up and if Charlotte pushed them too far, she'd bet she'd see some real negativity. What really was underneath.

  
"...There are plenty of objects to use to my advantage down here. My assailant could try their best to trap me in here, but it's dark. The second these candles are to go out, they wouldn't see anything. A ranged weapon, from a distant point, would be better for me to use. I'd be making shots in the dark, of course, but as long as I put myself in a position where I'm hidden and they're seeking me out, I'd have to wait until they'd make noise to fire."

  
"The second you fire though, you could miss, and have your location revealed. You'd have to move again and again, waiting until you land the mark. Eventually, you'll run out of places to hide and they'd find you. What would actually be better instead of cowering in the dark is to leave the candles lit, grab a sword, and fight them up close. It would mean saving your life quicker and more efficiently. Plus, if you'd use something like a bow and arrow to shoot them down and you're constantly missing, you'd run out of arrows at some point."

  
Charlotte rolled on her other side, facing away from them.

  
"But those are just my ideas. You don't have to listen to me."

  
Maybe now they'd tell her off about the fact she had no idea what she was talking about. They could counter with the fact that fighting up close was definitely more dangerous if they had no idea what the assailant was even using to attack them, but instead of telling her off - like Icarus should have done, just to make this easier on her mind - they hummed thoughtfully, then set the candle aside on the floor, just next to them and leaned up against the nearby wall, to keep the space between them barely illuminated enough to cast a healthy glow across their skin.

  
"You know a lot about this topic, Charlotte. Pray tell, why didn't you become a battler? You sound exactly like one."

  
The question caught her off guard, and immediately her hands found the skirt of her dress to curl her fingers into. She frowned, every memory of her past rushing into her mind at once. Every scolding, every argument, every minute her mother regarded her with disapproval because she couldn't be a healer -

  
She shoved those thoughts away, effectively ending them in her mind. She hated thinking about it.

  
"I was supposed to be a healer."

  
"Your family was a well known bloodline of them, I've heard. But, ah, you don't have to give me the details. Viola already told me... everything."

  
And of course her sister would run that damn mouth of hers until the day this world burned up in the sky because any of Charlotte's business became hers.

  
"I was the classic family disappointment," She said. "I was never good enough for the family I was born into. Even now, you and Viola have your places. You fight, she makes potions at her shop, and what do I do? Cower behind her and act like I've been there this entire time."

  
Now she was complaining to the very same person she'd just been purposefully trying to push away. Naturally, it was a very her-thing to do.

  
There was only one person in her past she came to find comfort in, and she had to witness her own mother kill him. He'd been her father figure, supported her when her mother pushed her down, fought to make her have her own freedom before her own mother got the chance to kill her, but in the end, his efforts ended with his own life. Fleance fought hard every day to put distance between her mother and herself, and the one time she did run away had been the biggest mistake of her life.

  
Having the timeline reversed, however, revived him. But not his memory of her. When Fleance entered Viola's shop one of the days Charlotte decided to join her, she'd happily had run up to him, expecting him to pull her into the tightest embrace she'd ever felt, but instead he'd regarded her with an unsure expression, warily asking if he knew her.  
Every memory of him comforting her rushed into the front of her mind that day. The memory of him tenderly brushing his fingers against the bruises, the tears, the pain...

  
Charlotte couldn't tell what she wanted more: To stay like this, where she found a sister and a loosely-fit place in the world, or if she wanted to take it all back and go back to those times where Fleance was still with her. It would mean going back to the pain, the suffering of being with her mother, but Fleance was there for her, would have comforted her about everything she was feeling now, would have reassured her he would protect her, but he couldn't now because he didn't remember anything.

  
"You make Viola very happy."

  
Charlotte didn't dare turn to face them again.

  
"It may sound like I'm offering a cheap excuse, but I can promise, you sincerely make your sister extremely happy. I know you two frequently bicker, but that's simply the magic of siblings. She told me, some days, she wouldn't know what to do without you."

  
Charlotte scoffed.

  
"Glad I make someone happy then. Haven't exactly ever done that before."

  
They mumbled something Charlotte didn't catch.

  
She impulsively - finally - turned over to face them again, a rather curious expression on her face, but missed theirs as they ducked their head down, raising a hand to cough into it to clear their throat. The candle light was dimming, along side the others in the room. They would go out sometime after this.

  
The chill of the basement was finally biting through her skin, causing her to rub at her arms through her clothes. Icarus raised their eyes to watch, then spoke again after the extended silence.

  
"If... you're cold, you can... have my coat, you know."

  
Charlotte raised an eyebrow.

  
"How kind. Wouldn't you be cold too? Don't sacrifice your own comfort for the sake of other people."

  
They hesitated but then raised their hand to place it on one of the boxes she was laying on.

  
"If I'm correct, there should be extra quilts in here. I get cold easily, so I always have more than a few laying around..."

  
Charlotte sighed, pushing herself and moving off of the boxes so Icarus could pull them open and look inside. She waited, hands on her hips, for them to pull out a thin and pastel floral quilt and unfold it. The handiwork was easily recognizable from one of the local shops near where Viola owned hers. Charlotte's always admired the patterns, the way the people's hands worked quickly with their tools in hands...

  
Icarus held it out to her, crossing their legs on the floor.

  
She promptly took it, flung it out to lay over their shoulders, then sat down right beside of them to cover herself with it. Shoulders and thighs touching aside, their panicked gasp was more prominent than the sudden contact.

  
"I - um - I'll b-be okay, I don't need - !"

  
"A blanket and two bodies would be warmer, wouldn't it? Relax."

  
She leaned her head on their shoulder.

  
"Wake me up when someone comes to our rescue."

  
Icarus probably would have liked to say something, but seconds later, she found herself falling asleep, completely comfortable and content being close to something warm and alive.

  
It was strange. It all had started off with Charlotte intentionally trying to scare them off, but by now she'd become strangely curious with them. She was sure it was her own bratty attitude, but they didn't seem to be affected by it. Instead, they'd engaged her into a conversation - didn't degrade her stance on it either - and openly admitted she had a good idea.

  
Those were the thoughts that forced her to fall asleep.

  
_**...** _

  
When Charlotte woke, she was strangely comfortable. Last she remembered it, she was leaning against a wall made of rocks. But now her back leaned against something soft, plush, and her neck every few seconds had warm air brush across it -

  
She craned her head around to see Icarus asleep as well, but their arms were around Charlotte's waist, holding her in place as they slept soundly. She about nearly shoved them away, but the second her arms found theirs, she froze.

  
Did they do this out of ill intent?

  
She was about to treat it like they did, but she quickly reflected back onto what had happened earlier in the day. The endless kindness and their capability of being understanding knew no bounds.

  
She dropped her hands, but the movement stirred them anyway.

  
"...Mm... Oh? ...Ah!"

  
They went to move, but Charlotte didn't budge. Instead, she shifted, turning around to lay on their lap side ways so she could lean the side of her head on their chest. The candles were dying fast, the last of their wicks fighting hard to provide light, but it didn't stop her from seeing the rosy blush that took over their cheeks and up to their ears.

  
"S-Sorry!" They sputtered out. "Y-You - I didn't want you - I was just - !"

  
"It's fine. You're comfortable, you know?"

  
She closed her eyes again.

  
"You're a really comfortable person."

  
She'd said it to reassure them they were fine, but instead it flustered them even worse. They laughed awkwardly, moving one of their arms away from her to run it through the front of their dark ashy colored hair.

  
"Is - that a compliment?"

  
"Could be. Beyond being a body pillow - " Icarus barely held back the shriek trying to escape their throat. " - You're also incredibly kind. I thought you were faking it for my sake, at first."

  
They audibly gulped.

  
"...I-I actually thought I was acting somewhat weird, if you ask me. I'm surprised I'm keeping myself together around someone so complex."

  
Charlotte grinned into their coat.

  
"Oh? Complex?"

  
"A-Ah, no, not complex! I meant - someone who's - you're the easiest person for me to talk to. I can't even speak to Viola like this. I - when you told me about that attack strategy, you looked really determined. You have... an admirable ability to think ahead like that..."

  
Glancing back up at them, they had their head turned away, staring at a distant candle that's wick was barely lit anymore. When that went out, the rest of them would follow afterward, and they wouldn't be able to see each other anymore. Now that Charlotte thought about it, having to rely on one another to help each other find a way out wouldn't be so bad. Holding one another's hand, guiding them around boxes and weapons...

  
"I've only ever been called useless, so that really means a lot." Charlotte jested. She paused, then cautiously continued. "...Thank you. For saying that."

  
"You wouldn't have to thank me over something like that, would you?"

  
"Yes. It's genuine. You're really genuine."

  
Icarus hesitated. Charlotte was about to ask them why the sudden tension when they raised their hand and swept it through her short, messily cut hair. They paused, just at the thick of the hair, and then gently let their fingers curl into it. It pulled, just slightly, not painfully. The way it felt good when someone was comforting you.

  
"You've never had a lot of people be kind toward you in your life, have you?" They asked, rubbing a few strands of hair in their fingers. "I... dislike knowing that. You have a good heart."

  
Her chest clenched, and again she felt the impulse to push them away because this was too kind, far too kind for her, and they didn't deserve someone like her. But she took priority of another feeling blossoming inside, right next to where the pain was, and put her trust in that:

  
If she pushed them away, she'd feel bad.

  
"...Trust me. I dislike knowing that too."

  
"You're smart. You're really smart."

  
She finally closed her eyes again.

  
"Oh, please..."

  
"You are. On top of that, you're sweet. You could have let me carry all of that down here by myself, but you didn't. I could tell you weren't in a good mood but you did it anyway. It was thoughtful of you."

  
Had it been? Truthfully, people only regarded Viola with positive commentary and looked out on Charlotte like she just existed. There wasn't anything unique about her, according to other people, and that she had merely showed up one day claiming to be Viola's twin who'd been gone for far too long. The townspeople were ridiculous enough to buy into the story, but not enough to try and break through the icy layer Charlotte surrounded herself with, and in all honesty?

  
She understood that. She knew she was scary and difficult to approach. She let off a much more aggressive personality than Viola did. For some reason, her lip trembled.

  
"Plus, didn't you make tweaks to Viola's original potions that turned them out for the better? Battlers are always scrambling to buy some of that when it's available, because it's so powerful one drop can save a life. You're a lifesaver as well."

  
Before she knew it, a tear had slid down her cheek. It barely, barely was able to be caught by the fading candlelight.

  
Icarus winced.

  
"O-Oh... I didn't mean to make you cry."

  
Charlotte shook her head.

  
"You shouldn't apologize. You're the first person to ever make me feel that kind of special though. Thank you."

  
Icarus' hand slid down from her hand to gently brush their fingers across her cheek. This time, she felt no urge to push them away. Her heart pounded harder (when had it started doing that?), and even though the candles had finally died out all in the second, their eyes were such a startling green that they pierced the darkness and found her own. She felt kind of ridiculous, if she was being honest, being swept away by a person who at first she thought had been faking their kindness for the sake of being a good host, but -

  
For once, Charlotte had been wrong. She was wrong about Viola all this time, thinking she was a spoiled bitch. Why did she have to think Icarus wasn't serious about anything they said?

  
"...I hate being so cliche, but you're also beautiful."

  
Charlotte smirked.

  
"Bad timing to say that. All the candles just went out. You can't even see me."

  
Laughter bubbled out of them as natural as air, and the sound was something so positive it healed something inside her.

  
"I still mean it. Although I would have done better to say it earlier, yes?"

  
Charlotte hadn't heard herself laugh in quite a while, so to hear it escape herself on impulse, it startled her enough to throw a hand over her mouth. It was embarrassing, feeling her cheeks heat up, and -

  
This entire time, had she just been attracted to Icarus and didn't want to admit it? Even Charlotte knew she still, nowadays, found herself suspicious of common harmless looking people, so to develop a crush on someone had to only further that suspicion. The fact she felt compelled to stay with them and help even during a bad mood - where she usually would have stormed out - should have told her that it was never about whether or not Icarus was genuine in their kindness, but rather if Charlotte could sort her own heart out.

  
_You're a seductive demon, an evil lord looking for a wife, a sorcerer who seeks people out for their selfish lust -_

  
None of that. They were none of that.

  
And it entirely caught her off guard to feel their smooth forehead make contact with her own, moving too fast - yet so slow - for her to comprehend what came next with their lips barely skimmed one another's and -

  
"Icarus?! ...Icarus! Where are you?!"

  
That voice. They both broke away, instantly, and shot their gazes in the direction of the door.

  
They scrambled to their feet.

  
"Viola!" They shouted in unison, tripping over various items until they reached the door, pounding on it together.

  
There was a rush of footsteps from the outside, someone hurriedly coming down the steps, and seconds later the door was pulled open, the both of them stumbling forward out of the cold and into the neutral air of the inside of Icarus' home.

  
Viola glanced over them - each, individually - before she closed the door, crossing her arms.

  
"How... the hell did you manage to get stuck down there?"

  
Charlotte sighed.

  
"Cram that garbage into someone else. It was an accident."

  
"How long were you two down there?"

  
For once, it wasn't any of Viola's business, and not just because Charlotte had no actual clue how long they were down there. She pushed past her sister and headed toward the steps, and though Viola tried questioning Icarus next, they went after Charlotte. With a groan of defeat, Viola followed, up until the reached the top of the steps again, back into the peaceful little sitting room. Icarus turned and shut the door to the steps again, their shoulders drooping.

  
"I... apologize for making you worry about Charlotte, Viola. It was my fault we got stuck down there. The key was - "

  
Icarus turned their head, scanning the nearby chest pressed up against the wall for decoration, but froze when they saw nothing on top of it. They patted their chest, their coat pockets, then the ones on their pants -

  
...They slowly pulled out a bronze key, the right fit for the large lock in the basement.

  
Viola growled.  
  


"...Seriously."

  
"It was an accident, I swear! I thought I left it up here! I didn't feel it earlier..."

  
Viola turned to face Charlotte.

  
"Come on, we have to go. It's late, and I want dinner."

  
Viola watched as Charlotte turned her eyes toward Icarus, who was shamefully still looking down at the key in their hand with disbelief. They looked ashamed of themself, so instead of catering to Viola's request, she waved her off.

  
"I'll meet you outside."

  
Viola raised an eyebrow, but merely chose not to question her further by turning on her heel and walking toward the front door.

  
Charlotte approached them. Icarus carefully met her eyes. It was almost like they were acting like Viola had caught them, which in reality Charlotte wouldn't have cared, but it must have been too much pressure on their shy heart. With a smile - real, Charlotte might add - she let her hand rest on their shoulder.

  
"I'll come by tomorrow," She said. "For tea again."

  
Perhaps Icarus had been expecting her to accuse them of purposefully not finding the key, but when they heard the offer, they smiled.

  
"O...Oh! Okay. Yes, that would be fine. I'd love to keep talking with you. I like hearing your voice..."

  
Charlotte's hand tightened on their shoulder, pulling them down closer to her own height with her own signature devious smirk. Her lips brushed against their ear as she spoke quietly, as if afraid Viola might hear what they were speaking about, even when they were so far apart.

  
"Maybe this time, you can accidentally trap us in a smaller space."

  
They gulped, then surprisingly nodded.

  
Charlotte laughed - again, for the second time that day - and let go.

  
Tomorrow would be a good day.


End file.
